Cooling apparatus



Feb. 7, 1933. J. A. PRUDENTE ET AL COOLIING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1931 H A I f I 4/ III F I I 4 I I I KW/Ill 1/ If f?! l/ mvzm'on ATTORNEY WTNESS is E T UNITED STATES Patented Feb. 7, 1933 PATENT v OFFICE JOHN ANTHONY PBUDENTE AND ROY THOMAS IULA, 0F ARDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA coomno APPARATUS Application filed April 25,

The object of this, our present invention, is the provision of an apparatus for cooling articles of food and beverages without the use of ice.

A further object is the rovision of a refrigerator that is characterized by simplicity of construction, cheapness of manufacture, economy in use and which is also sanitary and is automatic in action To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement herein-- after described and'definitely claimed.

In the drawing:'

Figure 1 is a substantially central vertical longitudinal sectional view through a refrigerator in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view approximately on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, the same being a sectional view through the cooling unit.

Figure 3 is a face view of the cooling unit.

Figure 4 is .a sectional view through the rotary pump employed and is taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

The body 1 of the refrigerator is of the usual construction and the same has arranged therein brackets on. which are suported the horizontal shelves 2, respectively.

n the present instance all of the shelves are strong wire mesh, and the upper shelf su ports thereon the cooling unit which will e presently described in detail. Inthe bottom of the refrigerator 1 there is a cup-like member 3 and connectedto the bottom thereof and leading through the bottom of the. refrigerator there is a tube 4. The tube is directed beneath the bottom of the refrigerator and is from thence extended inwardly therethrough and passes verticall through the shelves 22 and is connecte to a casing 5 of a rotary pump. The pump is of the usual construction to include the rotary element and the spring influenced blades which are directed therethrough against the inner periphery of the round casing for the other pump. The outlet pipe 6 for the pump 5 communicates and terminates at a point adjacent to the bottom of a water containing tank or trough 8 secured to or formed at the open to of a preferably metal casing 9. The casing asnot only an open topbut an open 1931. Serial No. 532,892.

front, but the closed rear wall thereof has an opening therethrough surrounded by a short pipe 10 that passes through the body of the refrigerator. The pipe 10 affords an air inlet to the casing9 and preferably there is. arranged in the pipe 10 a screen disc 11.

The open front of the casin 9 is closed by a loosely woven cloth 12; Ihe cloth is preferably provided with a series ofapertures 13 and the cloth is arranged around the side walls and bottom of the pan 8 and extends downwardly from the rear wall of the The shaft 19 of the motor 17 operates the rotary pump and likewise operates fan blades 20 disposed directly to the rear of the clothiwrapped coil 14. 'lVater is delivered into the pan 8 through the spout of the funnel 21 arranged on the top of the refrigerator box, and preferably but not necessarily there is passed through the funnel and its spout a stem 22 that carries on its lower end, a float valve 23. The float valve is designed to rest upon the body of water 24 which'is poured in the pan through the funnel.' The conductors for the motor 17 are connected to a hand operated switch 25, which can be connected to any convenient source ofcurrent.

The refrigerator is, above the bottom thereof, provided with a round opening 26 that provides an air outlet and in this opening there is preferably arranged a filtering screen 27 which prevents the passage of flies or insect's into the refrigerator box.

By capillary attraction the fabric sheet 12 will be saturated with water as will the portion of the sheet wrapped around the coil 14. The motor when in operation-revolves the fan blades 20 which directs air currents between the cloth wrapped coils 14 and through The fan also draws airfrom the room through the intake pipe 10,. This air cools the motor as it rushes past the cylinder but the motor is also retained in cool condition by the water passing from the pan through the pipes 15 drain' into the funnel 3 and such water is and 6 and the wrapped portion of the coil which is arranged around the motor. This, of course, heats the water in the wrapped portion of the coil and causes such water to e redelivered into the pan 8. The cool air circulates ,down through the wire shelves 2 but is circulated between the compartments provided by the said members 2. Air finds an outlet through the opening 26. Since the air in the re rigerator is full of moisture, drops of water condense on the sides of the refrigerator. The drops slide downward and elevated and delivered into the pan 8 by the operation of the rotary pump 5. The cooling process is continuous and, therefore, food in the refrigerator is retained in a cooled condition.

It is believed the foregoing description will fully set forth the construction of my improvement and the advantages thereof so that further detailed description will not be apparent. Obviously we do not wish to be restricted to the precise details shown and described and, therefore, hold ourselves entitled to make such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what we claim;

Having described the invention, we claim:

1. A refrigerator including a box having horizontally arranged reticulated partitions therein and having an air outlet opening adjacent to the bottom thereof and an air inlet opening adjacent to. the top thereof, a casing having an open top and an open front communicating with the last named opening, a water containing pan in the casing, a coil having a pipe connection with the bottom of the pan, and a'ret-urn pipe which communicates with the top of the pan, an electrically driven fan in the casing, and a loosely woven fabric sheet affording a front for the casing and extending into the pan and having a back portion which is wound around the coil.

2. A refrigerator including a box having horizontally arranged reticulated partitions therein and having an air outlet opening adjaeent to the bottom thereof and an air inlet opening adjacent to the top thereof, a casing having an open top and an open front communicating with the last named opening, a water containing pan in the casing, a coil havinga pipe connection with the bottom of the pan," and a return pipe which communicates with the top of the pan, an electrically driven fan in the casing and a loosely woven fabric sheet affording a front for the casing and extending into the pan and having a back portion which is wound around the coil,- a funnel on the top of the casing having a spout communicating with the pan and a float valve in the pan having a stem extending into the spout of the funnel.

3. A refrigerator including a box having horizontally arranged reticulated partitions therein and having an air outlet opening adjacent to the bottom thereof and an air inlet opening ad aeent to the top thereof, a casing having an open top and an open front communicating with the last named opening, a water containing pan in the casing, a coilhaving a pipe connection with the bottom of thepan and a return pipe which communicates with the top of the pan, an electrically driven fan in the casing and a loosely woven fabricsheet affording a front for the casing and extending into the pan and having a back portion which is wound around the coil, a funnel on the top of the casing having a spout communieating with the pan and a float valve in the pan having a stem extending into thespout of the funnel, a rotary pump operated by.the motor of the fan, a pipe leading downwardly therefrom, passing through the bottom of the refrigerator, a funnel-shaped member in the said bottom of the refrigerator with which the pipe communicates and a pipe at the outlet end of the pump casing directed into the pan.

4. A refrigerator including a box having 'horizontall arranged reticulated partitions therein an having an air outlet opening adjacent to the bottom thereof and an air inlet opening adjacent to the top thereof, a casing having an open top and an open front com municating with the last named opening, a water containing pan in the casing, a coil having a pipe connect-ion with the bottom of the pan, a return pipe which communicates'with the top of the'pan, an electrically driven fan in the casing and a loosely woven fabric sheet affording a front for the casing and extending into the pan and having a back portion which is wound around the coil, a funnel on the top of the casing having a spout com municating with the pan and'a fio'at valve in the pan having a stem extending into the spout of the funnel, a rotary pump operated by the motor of the fan, a pipeleading down-' wardly therefrom, passing through the bottom of the refrigerator, a funnel-shaped member in the said bottom of the refrigeratures.

' ROY THOMAS IULA. i JOHN ANTHONY PRUDENTE. 

